Childcare

In recognition of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the NDP Caucus is pushing government for answers on issues including an affordable childcare strategy, pay equity, and multi-year support for crucial women’s programming. The NDP Caucus has also called for a task force on violence against women and girls.

When the Minister of Education announced increases to the child care subsidy last week, says NDP Education and Early Childhood Development Critic Lorraine Michael, he neglected to mention that the increase, the first in a decade, does nothing to help most working families in the province.

Today is International Women’s Day. NDP Caucus members seized the opportunity to ask government for commitments on several key issues. NDP Critic for the Status of Women Gerry Rogers led off questioning with a return to an issue she has championed for years.

NDP Leader Lorraine Michael (MHA, Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi) wants this province to do as Ontario as done, and commit to supporting a $15 a day childcare program if it were to be proposed by the federal government.

NDP Education Critic Dale Kirby (MHA, St. John’s North) said government has to wake up to the fact that universal child care and full-day kindergarten will be a necessary component of a successful Provincial Population Growth Strategy.

Government had announced a series of public community workshop consultations on developing this strategy earlier in the week.

Members of the NDP Caucus say it is about time that the premier talks about social justice and the need to support women. They are taking the premier’s comments seriously, and plan to hold government accountable for her public commitment to social justice.

NDP Advanced Education and Skills Critic Dale Kirby (MHA, St. John’s North) has some advice for a long-time public servant who is embarking on a new career: encourage government to take a long, hard look at child care.

Today in the House of Assembly NDP Education Critic Dale Kirby (MHA, St. John’s North) asked the government when it plans to provide universal early childhood education programs and all-day kindergarten.